Wintermute

As expected, Tony Blair has asked the Queen to disolve parliament and called for a general election on the 5th of May.

Some links:
The main parties in England
http://www.labour.org.uk/
http://www.conservatives.com/
http://www.libdems.org.uk/

News coverage
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi...05/default.stm
The C4 factcheck website looks particularly interesting.
http://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck

Personally, I have been really impressed with the social democratic policies of New Labour, but they keep doing things to try and stop me voting for them, namely the gung-ho war in Iraq and the Terror Bill.

The conservatives are a shambles and the Lib Dems are well intentioned but amaturish compared to the slickness of Labour. I just wouldn't want Kennedy representing Britian abroad as PM. If Brown was to be PM alongside a strong Foreign Minister I would definately support him.

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Wintermute

Play EVE online. It's like being an accounting addict in space.

www.MakePovertyHistory.com

DudeMan

I am a hardcore labour supporter,
i believe all people will make mistakes, first off i dont think the war was a mistake, but my reason for voting labour is simply track record.

i have been fortunate enough to be in the schooling system during both administrations, and i remember the old crap we had under the tories. the emphasis was keeping the poor dumb so that they could have an excess of decorators and bin men. under the labour government, we have had the invention of the gifted and talented schemes in schools. something i was involved in during my last years at secondary school.

for anyone who does not know what this is, its an initiative ti nurture the bright students at school, particularly in deprived areas. when the conservatives (Tories) were in power the emphasis was just to take thebad misbehaved kids and pump money into seperating them, which did nothing to improve the schools only make them look good.

the economy, gGordon Browns love child, is the strongest it has ever been, and the facvt that Michael Howard has even the balls to challenge Labour on this issue is laughable. yes, i pay more tax, and i resent my paycheck sometimes, but at the same time, schools are achieving more, chilldren are achieving more. admissions to further education are up.

the National health service is the best it has ever been, i once (under the Tories) waited 3 hours with an open wound in my hand, to even be seen by a doctor, under Tony Blair the waiting times in hospitals have dropeed dramatically,... and i will just take what is possibly Mr Blairs best quote i have ever heard from him as proof. " if you thin the health service, is in any way, worse under this labour government, than it was under the conservatives. dont vote for me!"

sorry for ranting but it seems from looking at the tv, there is a press offensive against the labour party, well on the night of may 5th and morning of may 6th, tony blair wil be in controll of this country. you mark my words.

oh and FYI thats the plan i think wintermute, we know this will be tony blairs last stand as prime minister and gordon brown will lead the next offensive in 4 years time, aqlot of labour voiters like brown, so its almost like an insurance gamble to secure a 4th term...

but as for tony balir, i have nothing but admiration for that man, he has brought this country foward, and the only thing i am questioning with him is his hesitance to re-new the nuclear missile systems, (although i believe this will be done post election.

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The Queen
"Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life,"
Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community

TheFeniX
"Guns don't kill people: effeminate men in green tunics do"

NewsWrthy

As an American I hane no say in British political matters. Yet I must say Blair altough not perfect has done a wonderful job FIXING a number of issues that are of great Importiance to me. Primaraly the Violence in Ireland. I am of Irish decndancy and care much about what happens to the irish people. Blair didn't end the 800 yrs of blood shed single handedly but did help lay down a fondation that alowed peace to work.

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Root

Sorry, but blair did nothing. The english invaded Ireland hundreds of years ago, and today it remains virutally the last outpost of the empire. The psychotic terrorists have driven the english out, and the "peace process" is merely a face saving exercise for the politicians. Blair is no better than any other policitian. They are all beneath contempt. They all lie and distort the truth. Not one of them gives a damn about you or me. I can be arrested, and held indefinitely, without being charged, without access to a lawyer, without anyone being informed of my arrest. My crime? I too am of Irish descent. That is sufficient under existing UK law (forced upon us by blair), for my arrest. Possesion of a copy of the manual for boy scouts is sufficient for arrest under current UK terrorism laws. Lawyers have actually *seen* this book on a list of books which it is an offence to have in your possesion in the uk. Mandatory ID cards are going to be next, the DNA database is growing, and a judge has ruled that if the police break the law and retain DNA data after it should legally be destroyed, it is still admissable in court. Dope has been legalised, when instead it should carry an automatic 20 years hard labour for a first offence. Street wardens and PCSO's have been created, as a cheap way to get a (powerless) uniform presence on the street, when what people really want a police officers. Shop theft gets you a caution if you're a severe, violent, repeat offender. Now and again, you'll get to do some cushy time in rehab. What we really need is these people given 20 lashes in the town square. The town criers can earn their pay by announcing each criminal, their crime and the number of lashes the court has decreed. MI5 has an operations center to monitor what you and I are doing on the internet. Not a conspiracy theory, it was in all the mainstream press at the time. They made all the ISP's install "black boxes", and had to get it done before the european human rights act came into force. And of course our polictians like to give more and more power to the EU, in the face of overwhelming protest. An EU that is going to admit turkey, in spite of the fact that most of the country, and even half the capital, is in AISA. Hmmm... Euraisa anyone? And the education system in this country has suffered under blair just like it suffered under the previous administration. Proles is the objective of the uk governtment, regardless of what party holds power. I have more GCSE grades than any kid that sits their exams this year. The exams have been made easier year after year. Oh and since when did labour invent the AS level exam? I had the opportunity to sit an AS paper before labour came to power. I guess they forgot to recall all copies of the Times and edit them to show that big brother invented them after I sat them.

You could vote for the monster raving looney party if you like, WHOEVER wins the election, none of this is going to change. All parties are successfully set about destroying the country. If anyone had any sense, blair would be arrested for treason. But unfortunately, if there is hope, it lies amongst the proles, and they seem rather uninterested by it all. It is an honour to hold public office. It should be something you make sacrifices for. Our politicians make more money being employed in other capacities than they make from their public office. Why anyone tolerates a politician having a second job is beyond me. If a police officer gets caught having a second job it'll soon become their only means of income.

Root

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DudeMan

wow root, you talk BS in large quantities..

what a joke.

did you know that northern Ireland wants to be a part of the UK because of the benefits associated with being in the UK, i suppose that didnt cross your bitter little rant did it.

referendums have been held in the north and they like their situation, and you say all this while living in my country, pick a side man, dont sit there in England enjoying all the benefits my country has to offer, complaining about how hard done by your ancestors are. if you like Ireland so much, live there, then complain about it.

oh and your point about the education system is pure crap, grades have been going up so dramatically everyone is calling to see if exams are too easy, ofcourse they would do this if exams were hard yes? no i dont think so. peh...

your points about police state, are laughable.... police state my arse, because you are Irish you can be detained, hmmm i wander if you fit the description of a middle eastern islamic extremist... and further more, detained indeffinatly has been done away with, it is now security tagged and detained in house arrest, ofcourse you would know this if you even payed attention one bit to current affairs.

and i laugh, at your quote that exams are easier, its ridiculous, pure and simple. people are being examined differently, the emphasis has changed from bare ass facts, to contextual knowledge and assesment. people were comming out of college and university knowing all the facts and dates **** happened, whilst good on university challenge, no good in the work place. the brain has to be trained to deal with certain things, we do it in primary and secondary, in the way of comprehension, then somehow forget our evaluation skills in college.

not to mention that teaching standards across the board got better,.... but ofcouse it big brother controlling you... i swear people like you should be screned for paranoid delusions such as that post.

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The Queen
"Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life,"
Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community

TheFeniX
"Guns don't kill people: effeminate men in green tunics do"

Apophis

Personal attacks have NO place here.

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Diplomacy is the art of saying "good doggie" while looking for a bigger stick.

section-8

Can anyone explain to me what "disolving the parliment" means? I guess Ive always heard that term assciated with stalin-esque time dictators...

Can he just ask her to do away with the Parliment?
Or is it because its time for a new one?
Is this a regular thing?

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TheFeniX

So... you guys are trying to be like America? Of course, I never understood the whole "Billy Club" thing with your peace officers. Some retard with a knife rushes me, I'd rather have the option to blow his brains out the back of his head.

Man, I've just got the mental image of the crazy Irish guy from Braveheart: "The most wanted man on my island, but I'm not on my island."

Oh yea, that's good stuff.

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DudeMan

again ignorance of the subject, so complete and utter crap remarks.. well done fenix,

oh and FYI most of our police officers are armed and trained to use their weapons, the difference is in this country we prefer not to have a gun be the primary means of arrest.

if they are required the police can use them, if they are not needed, they will not use them.

__________________


The Queen
"Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life,"
Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community

TheFeniX
"Guns don't kill people: effeminate men in green tunics do"

DudeMan

its more tradition than anything else, parliament are not running whilst the people are voting, so the parliament are closed down, and technically the queen is in controll, (although practically this isnt true tony blair will still make the decision for wars ect ect...) just no new policy making will be dont.

i dont know of any other reason, the queen will just dissolve it for a month then swear in parliament and the new government after the results.

possibly ceremonial.... yes.... but whats a country without tradition.

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The Queen
"Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life,"
Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community

TheFeniX
"Guns don't kill people: effeminate men in green tunics do"

luna

Put down the George Orwell book, Cookietester! I repeat- Put down the book!

Brilliant work, yes. Reflection of reality? Not so much.

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Resurgent's New Motivational Motto:
"Now train harder! Live inside your character! If it dies, YOU DIE! Focus!"

Jesus had a soulstone.

Root

A referendum was held by the invaders, but as they had been beaten back to 6 counties, they only allowed people within those counties to vote. As this area was full of english people, the vote strangely enough was to remain part of the uk.

Root

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Root

Not arguing with dudeman on this one, just clarifying - techincally, the leader of the party that wins the election doesn't automatically become prime minister, they are invited by the queen to form a government. Theoretically, she could appoint someone else, but even if some neo-nazi won, she'd not be able to use that power. Its the same with all the queens powers. She has to approve a law for it to become a law, but if she ever refused to sign one she'd have to abdicate.

Root

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Root

The laws in question don't mention middle eastern islamics, extremist or otherwise. The IRA and other terrorist organisation operate in Ireland, and that is sufficient for a law abiding citizen like me to be arrested.

Yes there is tagging and house arrest, but the detention under the circumstances I described have for many years been the case where national security is concerned. The removal of right to trial by jury was recently passed in such cases. The defence is not even allowed to see all the evidence against the defendent in terrorism cases for a number of reasons. What sort of state would you call it where you were arrested, the evidence was presented to the court in the absence of yourself and your lawyer, and then you had to defend yourself not knowing exactly what you were defending against? This is current law in the uk I'm talking about, not some conspiracy theory. They told you what you'd done wrong in room 101, but not in a uk court?

Root

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DudeMan

BS, ok pal, uk elections comming up, lets let isreal join in they can if they want to.... why not... idiot logic, northern Ireland is a seperate country from both England and Ireland, why the hell should Ireland vote.

and dont come at me with invaders crap, you are on the tacticalgamer website, you know those white europeans who invaded an already inhabited land and called it america.

the fact remains that this happened hundreds of years ago, the people in America do not continue to call themselvs brits even though some are. same principal, this happened long ago, and the people that live there enjoy the rights and benefits of living in the UK..

you mentioned being detained a while back, well with an atitude like yours... i can understand why this would be a concern for you.

as part of the UK northern ireland has access to more money, from government funding, a decent welfare system, i wouldnt want to go into Ireland, be thrust into the Euro ect ect...,

__________________


The Queen
"Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life,"
Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community

TheFeniX
"Guns don't kill people: effeminate men in green tunics do"